I never imagined in my lifetime that I would witness such hate. We have many gay and black friends who share your fears. I have turned my back on any friends who voted for this maniac. I have never been so fearful of anyone or anything in my life. Who the hell is going to come and rescue all of us? Love and peace to you and your husband.

When groups are singled out for persecution, people have an odd reaction, even if they have no problem with that group. It usually consists of a combo of "I'm glad that's not me" and searching for justification to either not care about or support the persecution.

So I understand

I also am anti gun, extremely.

But many Americans now are in direct physical danger of others and some forms of the future government and therefore should arm themselves.

I think the federal government will remain relatively safe but this new meme that it is OK to publicly show hatred of and do harm to minorities will make some local law enforcement less likely to protect you/us.

I'm in NC so I do want one (kept in a safe) for self-protection.

I'm also black in NC so getting one and having a carry permit scares the hell out of me.

Fair warning.

at household distances, needs just as much aiming. Shot pattern is only a few inches wide at room distance, and the recoil is not a good thing to starting to learn how to shoot.

I'm completely ignorant and inexperienced in making this kind of choice. These were what the repulsive individual that sold them to me recommended for "home defense".

Hell, even having them I realize that it's false courage I've bought. After all, if/when it gets to that point, we'll be alone, isolated, outnumbered, and outgunned, and our resistance will be right at the futile level. Heck, when it comes to that point, we're hoping we can at least get to them, and just use them to prevent them from taking us alive.

My husband and I had a loooong sit down and talk about this possibility on christmas eve while sipping eggnog in front of the fireplace and reflecting on our lives.

Would love to be wrong, but we both feel our days are numbered, and we refuse to have our persons numbered.

A semi-automatic magazine fed rifle in affordable price range. A decent pump action 12ga. A couple of affordable reliable semi-automatic handguns.

Magazines and accessories for all the above.

Plenty of ammunition.

Safe storage for anything you buy.

Training, training, training. Learn and live gun safety before anything. Become comfortable and familiar otherwise it is worthless or outright dangerous to you.

It is the left's responsibility and obligation to defend ourselves. No one else will defend you when you need it most.

Personally, I would get a BB gun as a first gun and shoot a big jar or BBs at a target in the yard. I realize that not everyone has a yard or friendly neighbors. A 22 target pistol is a possible alternative. They tend to be unreliable, but at least not intimidating. These choices are of course useless for self defense.

I was focused mainly on self-defense aspect. .22 rifle and pistol are almost mandatory for any gun owner. Why? Well they help with developing good shooting habits, are affordable, and most importantly are very fun to shoot.

Best thing about 12 ga when learning is you can learn to shoot using light bird/trap loads. Not as intimidating.

always liked a revolver for newcomers, they are inherently safe and you are seldom faced with multiple attackers....learning to be comfortable with a decent revolver...your recommendations are excellent choices.

I still like my 1911, it's been used in self defense already.

I carry revolver when I do solo backpacking. I also found I am better shot with revolvers than semi autos.

I love the 1911, own one, but wouldn't recommend for first timer. Happy to hear you defended yourself and still alive and kicking!

And I'm so sorry that you're in a place that feels so unsafe.

Especially if you are a minority or an immigrant. They will come for you and yours, arm yourself.

advocated for a full banning. This is one reason. For protection in case a person with authoritarian tendencies like Trump goes too far. Also, a full banning isn't going to happen with the culture in our country. I do not and never have owned a gun, and wish we were gun free. But it's nice to have a last resort option.

I won't judge you and your spouse - your fears are your fears, and you should take whatever precautions you feel necessary to protect your family. Make sure you get as much training as you and your husband can afford. Keep your firearms clean and secured in a safe whenever you're not using them.

And please be careful. Guns in the home place everyone at greater risk for gun-related deaths.

Very thankful now that we ultimately decided not to adopt, and have no children in our home. Just the two of us and our elderly mothers that we care for.

Right now they're not even out of the boxes, and tomorrow we're meeting one of my co-workers who's a trainer and does competition shooting for some lessons.

Frankly, I'd be lying through my keyboard if I said the thought of getting those lessons tomorrow doesn't terrify the shit out of me.

think of them as any tool that could be lethal if misused (like a circular saw or an acetylene torch). Turn your fear into a very healthy respect. I don't like guns but I certainly understand that there's a time and a place where they are necessary.

Good luck!

Learn and follow safe practices, and you'll be safe. Never leave shit unattended or accessoble to others, you'll be fine.

if there is a local private gun club that is not too expensive join and hit the range at least once a month. In a panic even the simple to operate Glock will become difficult if your not handling/shooting it on a regular basis.

A good inexpensive electronic hearing protection device is made by Howard Leight, the model is called impact sports and Amazon sells them for about $35.00 They are nice because you can hear regular sounds but it cancels out the muzzle noise.

Midway USA sells inexpensive but high quality range bags and other shooting stuff at good prices. For plinking and practice inexpensive 9mm ammo (115g Winchester white box from walmart) is good but personal defense ammo is expensive be warned.

It is total fun sport to bash the NRA here but it is the best source for gun handling safety instruction. Safety handling firearms is not something to take lightly, once the bullet leaves the barrel there is no recalling it. Have no fear, you have the help of an experienced mentor, your friend, and your going to find that shooting is actually an enjoyable pastime and hobby. You might not want to become addicted to gunpowder but you can still have a nice afternoon at a range and be prepared if you need the protection a firearm can provide.

the Second Amendment won't be so sacrosanct and gun control will finallly become a reality.

So arm on, my brother ...

BTW, I'm only being half facetious - I hate guns, but I feel your pain and fear.

I think gun ownership is well distributed throughout the races in this country.

Interesting ...

We're not supposed to talk about gun violence there.

Interesting.

You claim that "gun ownership is well distributed throughout the races in this country" because of gun violence in Chicago?

That ridiculous argument sounds familiar . . . where have I heard that before? Oh, yes. That red herring is often thrown by certain people into discussions about violence against minorities. Usually right after the "what about black on black crime?" crap.

True colors are flying . . .

in urban Chicago and in white suburbia:

Between racist cops and community social strucures sacrficed on the altar of white privilege, people in Chicago actually face a risk of death or serious bodily injury that is greater than the risks attendant to the presence of a firearm in the home.

In white suburbia, it is exactly the opposite but the people who live there have been convinced that THEY are the "real" victims of violent crime.

Equating the two smacks of privilege.

+1000

racist? Either we are all the same or we are not.

arming themselves because they no longer feel safe from homophobic violence in Texas is highly suspect.

And claiming that "gun violence in Chicago" is somehow proof that gay people, women and minorities arming themselves would not cause Second Amendment zealots to rethink their view of gun control is both suspect AND stupid.

This is a thread about guns.

Your innuendo doesn't bother me.

With a 3 prong approach directed against gangs, drugs, and ILLEGAL guns

Did you know that most of the people killed in Chicago were already pre identified by the police as likely to be involved in a future crime? That says to me that gangs are the number one issue. Is there a reason to be in a gang?

How about if we try to take every single one of these people and find them a job and housing in a different community? Something along the lines of a witness protection program. I think that would make a bigger difference than anything........save their lives and thus save Chicago.


According to WGN, shootings were up nearly 50 percent from 2015 and the number of homicides jumped nearly 65 percent. It was the deadliest year in Chicago since 1996.

CPD Superintendent Eddie Johnson described the year as “difficult” and “disheartening.” The majority of the violence came from five police districts on the city’s west and south sides.

“Despite the belief that the entire city is up for grabs, the majority of the increase in the violence we saw in 2016, the majority of the violence was driven by 5 out of the 22 police districts," Johnson said.

Authorities attributed the problems to gangs, drugs and illegal guns. Johnson said there’s more to reducing violence than simply making more arrests. He said the department couldn’t do it by itself.

He outlined changes for 2017 intended to stem the tide of violence:

Hiring additional officers
Offering incentives to developers who bring jobs to high-crime communities
Mentoring teens in the city’s 20 most violent neighborhoods
Strengthening gun laws for repeat offenders
Focusing on policies and training
Revising the department’s community policing strategy
Johnson said the department will increase its use of technology including street cameras and body cameras. The department will also open a pair of “strategic decision support centers” to provide real-time information and analysis. The centers will be staffed 24 hours a day, seven days a week

They'd go back to a life of crime when they aren't making as much money as they did previously.

The mantra of white privilege . . .

and all lives matter too, huh?

but if you think that different racial groups should have different gun laws, that does seem racist

Different groups have different needs for self-defense and, accordingly, different motivations for purchasing the "tools" of self defense.

WE are in REAL danger and purchase weapons to address those concerns. The white suburbanites who are scarfing up guns like they are Skittles face almost no danger and purchase weapons because in their privileged view of the world even the minimal danger they face is important enough to flood this country with unneeded weapons.

You aren't us. Quit acting like you face the same reality.

I leave it to the individual to decide what their different needs are. I support individual rights with non discriminatory laws.

If we should ever get to a point where the purchase of guns is a shared and common community decision, then we can look at that community with respect to their needs, sadly understanding that the rights of an individual within that community have become lost to the restrictive dictates of that community.

to do with government regulation and everything to do with the decision by privileged suburbanites to place millions of weapons into the stream of commerce for no other (real) reason than to reinforce their privilege.

I was a bit shocked at the fact someone with no weapon know-how chose those handguns.

It's not something you're going to learn on one day on the range.

And keep in mind that those instructing you may well be Trump voters.

Don't have weapons in your house that of which you are completely clueless. That's a blueprint for disaster.

Not see a threat of physical harm coming from the government.

But i don't see physical harm in general as being a big risk, i'd be more concerned about the govt cutting the funding for social programs hurting minorities.

Brown shirts, sans-culottes, the Klan all were grown swell of popular opinion. Extra governmental lynch mobs as well.. We may not have the gov to fear, but idiots emboldened by this election will be flexing their muscle and acting out.
Best to be vigilant, trained and armed.. in that order.
A gun with no training behind it is a disaster waiting to happen. Training, proper storage and a plan should all be done and in effect before the gun enters the home.

Get a safe, get training, then and only then get a gun.

You'll just have to deal that I'm not willing to bet my family on your being right at this point.

While there are certainly dissimilarities between our situation, and 1929 Germany, there's too many similarities to ignore it outright.

We're not a country just coming out of economic ruin, or in a world that is in a great depression, so the desperation factor is absent. There hasn't been an attempted armed overthrow of our government. These are very key differences.

However, there's also too many similarities for me to ignore:
- A charismatic leader, whom just about everybody thought was a joke, has gone from virtual obscurity to taking power.
- Central to his rise is instilling a sense that our country has fallen from greatness.
- Named enemies as the cause of our fall from greatness, and those enemies are liberals, progressives, immigrants, the news media, Hollywood, organized labor, and the GLBT lobbies.
- This rise to power, which hasn't even been realized yet (only 1.5 months since the election) has already resulted in a large increase of crimes against the named enemies, and marginalization of named enemies.
- Riding the wave of national pride, militarism, commitment to him, and a radically pure America.
- Even though the Nazi Party only won 32% of the vote, underestimation of them led to their complete seizure of power.

So, yes, my reaction might be premature, and ultimately it may be completely unnecessary.. but, it may also be accurate, and there's certainly enough change that's come over this country for genuine concern. So, I will hope that you are correct, but I will prepare for you being incorrect.

to start sounding like the paranoid right. Purchase a gun if that helps you feel better. Maybe in Texas some individual crazy might decide to commit a hate crime, but the Trump government or bands of haters aren't going to be dragging people out of their homes and sending them off to camps or killing them. Times will be hard, but let's not jump the shark. Most people are decent, and many will step in to help people getting harassed. Most Americans will have your back and when the haters are stood up to enough times most will crawl back under their rock. Please don't fall into right-wing build a bunker, survivalist mode.

shit seemed more believable. Bush was gonna cancel the election, impose martial law, invade iran, the predictions were on DU daily for 8 years. And it didn't happen.

And it won't happen because in modern times, people don't go on hitlerian world domination conquests: they make due by robbing the treasury with their tax cuts and military contactor spending. They need the proles to pay taxes so they can steal as much of it they can; start puting people in camps and causing mass mayhem disrupts the cash flow.

What they realistically do is go after the social safety net and public spending, that's where we need to be the most vigilant.

Dunce, yet somehow he's gonna single handedly exterminate half the population of the United States. Most likely the world. Better Arm up before he cranks up the gas chambers!! The level of paranoia here reaching the stratosphere. Better put on your tin foil hats.

For death, and he didn't fire up the ovens

Keep in mind that the firearms industry, and the ownership/usage of firearms, have been increasingly co-opted and radicalized by the right wing in this country. If asked about those Glocks, limit your response to something vague about home protection---avoid any political discussions. These are indeed dangerous times.

I'm not going to congratulate you and I hope you don't become like most of them singing the praises of guns, bragging about what you own, cheering when gun sales go up, making excuses every time someone shoots up a school or club, supporting people like George Zimmerman, and similar gunner BS.

to see where this is headed, do not live in TX, but if the need arrives will do similar. I grew up target shooting and all, got rid of the 22's, shotguns and all sometime ago ... wondered at the time if we would ever need them, not really a gun type person. Now wish I hadn't gotten rid of them.

This is getting to be a crazy society. I don't blame you one bit for at least being prepared.

After his years of thinking Obama was taking the guns and talking a good game while buying guns and fancying himself a prepper by watching prepper shows on TV, the poor guy is thinking he gets to relax and I'm suddenly dragging him out to visit the local LDS Home Storage store on our weekend outings, literally building solar power chargers, getting water treatment lined up (and oh yeah, incidentally buying a gun but that is the really really minor part of it).

It's funny as he tries to ask why I'm suddenly so worried and I say "well, there is good reason to believe the average person NEEDS to have a year's food stockpiled at this point. You voted in a candidate who promises disruption, not reform. Do you SERIOUSLY think disruptions are painless?"

We don't go over to the crazy side. We stand strong.

...keep him and his husband safe in the face of Klan-style behavior.

The civil rights movement had an armed aspect that wasn't much discussed:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php/http:/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=118x337407

Rosa Parks was an armed. No surprise from this Cracker.

for the pink pistols, http://www.pinkpistols.org/

their facebook page https://www.facebook.com/groups/2204691521/

Nicki Stallard seems to be the leader of the Ca chapters. i've spoken to her a few times, she very knowledgeable and willing to help lgbt people start local chapters in their communities. contact her if you have any questions.

faced by the black community and their REAL justifications for arming themselves by privileged white folks to justify THEIR arming themselves despite facing no such dangers is disgusting.

The "self-defense" community is rife with racism. For them to invoke the name of Huey Newton is beyond irony.

I self deleted my posts in this thread because of my reaction before I realized what this thread was about. I figured it was just a typical White fear over-reaction because I saw Second Amendment. They've made it a knee-jerk cause that rallies the knuckledraggers . Personally, I don't think it's worth allying with them and I also don't think it's necessary to do so for one individual to buy a single gun. I think the OP was unnecessarily inflammatory.

is that you almost certainly don't look the least bit like the person in that picture and that you oppose every thing that Huey believed, especially the reasons he believed that we should go armed. I am also aware that you cynically appropriated Williams' message of liberation through strength to justify the those who purchase weapons simply to further entrench their privileged.

Oh, the next time you wamt to try to act like suburbanites and the BPP are brothers in arms on the issue of self-defense, you might try to avoid former BPP members.

whatever reason? Some people just like to target shoot in the woods, they aren't hurting you...

gun owners who regularly engage in shooting sports and recreation is small and getting smaller as the country continues to urbanize. That is the driving force behind the gun industry's promotion of the racist meme that suburbanites are "victims" (a meme which, btw, drives them into the welcoming arms of the Trumps and Dukes of the world).

As for that small segment, it is comforting that they have some motivation other than non-existent vctimhood to purchase a firearm. May they plink to their heart's content.

As is self defense. Nothing wrong with any of these. Suburbanites are less likely to have a police officer within shouting distance so the support traditionally provided by that officer in an urban setting can be backfilled to some degree with personal defense training.

Are in more danger??????

Omg, you people are beyond belief.

Btw, recreational shooting (not including practicing in preparation for, and/or in prevention of, the foreboding loss of white privilege) combined with hunting is still way down. The overwhelming majority of new gun purchases are for "self-defense"

That the suburbs are already secure enough. 18 million ADT (or similar) home security systems indicate that you are alone in this position.

All that I can speak of is my own experience. In the last 4 years I have lived in a few places. In one I had a break in. 20+ minutes for the police to arrive. Someone had entered a very old code into my very basic alarm system and gone through the first floor. I had cameras put in the next week. In other places I have been within 100 feet of both a fatal police shooting and a non fatal gang shooting, both times with my child.

On the same suburban paranoia.

As for your personal experiences, the fact remains that IN SUBURBIA the chance that a legally purchased weapon will be involved in inadvertently causing harm or that it will be used by the person who brought the weapon into the home for an improper purpose is significantly greater than the chance it will be used to protect the homeowner from death or serious bodily injury.

I am curious, however, which white suburban neighborhood you were in when you were exposed to a gang shooting.

But it was a strip mall with a baseball card sports memorabilia store (why I was there) that also was a pawn shop/we buy gold place. Not sure if the pawn shop was the attraction for the shooting, but that would be my guess. And as for how suburban, someone ran over a moose there a couple of years ago.

Btw, threatened by a stampeding moose counts too. I never said all white people.

I'm not nearly good enough to be part of a competitive/organized competition...but I do enjoy target shooting.

I keep my guns locked up, and nowhere near where I sleep...so I really don't think I'm Billy Badd-ass defending the Ponderosa. I just like to target shoot. Lots of people do.

I am simply talking about the percentage of those who purchase guns for purely recreational and/or hunting purposes as opposed to those who do so in part to protect themselves from imaginary threats.

As with the person who bought a gun just to plink in the woods, more power to you.

Feh. You provide no safety for the OP's family, or any solution for them outside empty platitudes.

Well I guess we know who is lagging behind in that race.

calling people racists for buying guns out of fear for their safety.

It's out of left field to me...

groups within this country who face real dangers. Despite my suspicion regarding the sincerity of the OP (the connecting of a right wing talking point - "we need guns to protect against jack booted thugs" - to an oppressed group seems designed more to justify the former than to express the concerns of the latter), I have absolutely no problem with people who face REAL threats taking steps to protect themselves.

I do have a problem with folks who face little or no danger buying weapons either out of a sense of privilege or to "protect" their position of privilege.

Selling more guns every year than sold the year before. Records sold. The gun lobby openly said Obama was the best salesman they could ever dream of. The repugs said he was going to ban them. Now....???? The gun lobby and the NBA are celebrating.

Spend at least four one-hour sessions at the range putting at least fifty rounds each down .
range

Reloading the mags is a pain in the thumb - get a speed loader
https://www.amazon.com/Glock-Magazine-Speed-Loader-357/dp/B004Y27DVY

If you have a place to shoot outside, paper targets get boring - get one of these
http://ads.midwayusa.com/product/336422/do-all-impact-seal-ground-bouncing-hot-box-4-reactive-target-self-healing-polymer-orange?cm_mmc=pf_ci_google-_-Shooting+-+Targets-_-Do-All-_-336422&gclid=CjwKEAiAqJjDBRCG5KK6hq_juDwSJABRm03hn5zSGV0-bUCXwIYoUn6n1bCQaPT-atXCn8zdgzA2fBoCI6Pw_wcB

Don't pay range or retail prices for ammo - buy in bulk, 1000 rounds isn;t as much as you think
http://www.bulkammo.com/handgun/bulk-9mm-ammo

Welcome to the world of recreational shooting, my guess you'll be hooked after your first trip to the range.

Keep an open mind, ask questions
Ask other shooters about their guns, most will offer to let ya send a round or two down range.

Safety is always first!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Some weapons can take as many as 200 rounds to break in and get the mechanics working properly.

Have not watched in years. He is a very tall old white guy. Gets freebies from manufacturers and does viral informal gun reviews. Ex law enforcement, so you can imagine his politics. Anyway, he shoots in his back yard at all sorts of stuff. If you want to see how to use a 9mm magazine loader or shoot flower pots and 2 liter sodas, he is your guy. No doubt he has a Glock test on the tube. Fair warning, practice 20 years and you may still not be as good a shot as him on his worst day. Then again he probably shoots several hundred rounds a day, every day.

I guess you know about the gun group, The Pink Pistols?

Last edited Sat Dec 31, 2016, 12:36 AM - Edit history (8)

I highly recommend joining the GSSF (Glock Sport Shooting Foundation) which has many events and competitions nationally as well as all sorts of deals and discounts. If you should one day opt for concealed carry, you may want something smaller. If your eyes are no longer young, you may want something built to accept a red dot sight, which compensates for age. That is not the same as a laser sight, which is yet another type of aiming device. For a house gun, you may want to add "night" sights, which are simply sights that are easier to see. For pure competition, there are better models. The 17L is considered a low end competition gun. Personally I might have opted for 3 slightly different Glocks. The Glock 19 is very slightly smaller, but the most popular model. 19MOS is the red dot version, new and hard to find. 19M is the latest, is not really available yet, still getting debugged also. So there are a ridiculous number of choices, including color options. There are also all sorts of imitation or training Glocks, which allow you to do the 90% of practicing that does not actually involve punching a hole in a target. Believe it or not, breathing style is probably the single most important thing to practice.

In any case, expect to shoot several thousand rounds each to get your skills to a reasonable level. Which if you are a Costco style shopper, means buying several thousand rounds of ammo at once to save money. Ammo quality and purpose varies greatly and correlates to price. For instance, cheap ammo often comes from Russia, is unpowered and prone to failure, and questionable for a gun that is not yet broken in. Expensive ammo is expensive, but cops tend to use it, because they cannot afford to use something unreliable,

At this point you are like someone with a learners permit or someone that just bought a new cell phone. Becoming a good driver or shooter or texter takes practice, repetition and study. Much like driving, the initial goal is to get you comfortable and build safe habits. So that you do not do damage. Eventually you can be trusted on your own to share common space with others of varying ability. Actually hitting your target comes a bit later.

You will need some form of holster unless you never put the gun down, which of course is not possible. Keeping it in your pocket or in a bag without a holster is considered unsafe. Holsters are like pants, no one fits everyone best, and because it tends to be uncomfortable, people keep trying different ones.

You will find that Glocks are considered value guns, not Saturday Night Specials, but very utilitarian. A good gun for someone that does not particularly care about guns either way. They are not weapons of mass murder or invisible to metal detectors. What they are is extremely cost effective to manufacture, extremely reliable, and extremely well marketed to law enforcement departments, which get them for prices that you could not believe. The company is known for the best customer service in the industry. Because Glocks are relatively cheap and reliable, people sometimes try to abuse them to see at what point they cease to function. They treat them like a rental car. The manufacturer looks upon this rather benevolently as a sort of extreme test. And even when guns come back broken due to user error, they typically step up and replace or repair them regardless of warranty.

....for another generation.

Not only do Republicans have dominance at the federal level and in the majority of states, the fact that Trump has weaseled his way into the White House has prompted a lot of people on the left who had never been pro gun to go out and buy firearms for self protection.

Gun control has been a loser of an issue for us in recent history anyway, so I can't say I'm too upset at this one development.

The right hates us, and we have reason to fundamentally distrust them. That is a prescription for everyone on both sides arming up and gun control/gun safety measures mostly going nowhere for years to come.

Texas seems like an awfully RW place and it's getting scarier. Last spring they started allowing students to carry concealed weapons on college campuses. I think that's a pretty good sign that unless you're already a gun aficionado there are more congenial states to live in.

If he's living in fear of his life he needs to move. Staying put isn't going to accomplish anything beneficial, with or without guns. Moving isn't so easy, but in this case I think it should be seriously considered, and if leaving the state isn't an option, possibly he could find a less hostile neighborhood. And unless he finds the local gun culture appealing I'd advise against joining it.

As noted in my posts #49 and #51 above. They didn't move- they fought back

And why, exactly, shouldn't him and his husband do so?

If he liked guns and relished the idea of getting into gun battles, that would be one thing. But he said in his first sentence that he doesn't, and that being the case, buying a gun is inviting trouble. How on earth is it going to help him? How did it help Rosa Parks? Did she shoot that Birmingham bus driver? No of course not. Maybe she liked guns, many do, but guns didn't secure her civil rights.

He may very well go to a gun range and decide not to keep his guns. It's *his* choice, not ours

If the OP is at all curious about it, and/or if the guns can't simply be returned for a refund, which would be my best advice -- how would he dispose of unwanted firearms later, anyway? -- and if it's not going to cause some new unforeseen problem, like lifetime registry in the NRA files or some such, and if the shooting range personnel and clientele are reasonably respectable and not a crowd of haters, then there might be a benefit. I'd recommend extreme caution, but I'm pretty sure the OP would use it anyway.

They can be sold. The local gun store is like a car dealer in that respect, offering too little. With Glocks, you can strip off the complete slide and legally sell it on Ebay for around $300. And consign the frame and mags at the gun store for around $150. The frame is technically what is considered the gun. No one makes you join the NRA, many gun owners are not. Many gun clubs do require it because the NRA provides cheap insurance if every club member joins.

but while I believe that he is afraid, I do not feel that he is really more at risk in 2017 than he was in 2016. If he acts like an adult, buys a gun, gets professional training, and continues to behave like an adult, it would go a long way to discourage negative stereotypes of gun owners. I admit that it is a bit of a club, and the politics may be daunting, but that is probably nothing new given where he lives. While I have never actually seen her, Rachel Maddow shoots where I go, as do a lot of non stereotypical shooters. He might be surprised. Doesn't hurt to try.

The problem is the rural counties are still able to overpower the urban centers. Consequentially the state legislature is still right wing. Yet places like Austin, Dallas, Houston, and San Antonio increasingly vote Democratic. For example, Hillary Clinton defeated Trump in Harris County (Houston) by a wider margin than President Obama defeated Romney in 2012. Southern Texas is also becoming more and more blue.

That doesn't make its gun culture any less toxic and dangerous however.

Best update yourself on the reality of the situation.

And you best curb the snotty Texas-bashing, as well. With Trump as president, the entire U.S. now bears a striking resemblance to Texas. Devote yourself to changing that unfortunate situation, and get a feel for how things are for Texas Democrats.

And if the Texification you refer to is happening, and it's possible, it's a) anti-democratic if not criminal and b) worth moving as far away from as possible.

But certainly understandable.

The old saying:

"God made man, Smith & Wesson made them equal"

Does have a kernel of truth to it. Best tip I have ever heard towards firearm safety for new firearm owner is always treat a firearm as if it was loaded...even if you know otherwise.

From the gun control act of 1934 to the gun control act of 1968 to the 1994 gun control law to New Yorks recent gun bans to the new California gun bans Democrats have always been for elimination of firearms. All other civilized nations have long since outlawed all firearms. USA stands alone on this lunacy. If Hillary had won right now we would be discussing the gun control she preached on the campaign trail for the last year. She promised it would be one of the 1st problems she would tackle. It sure looks like the trump effect has rubbed off on many here. Guess the Democrats are gonna be the pro gun party now. We gonna out repug the repugs.

Completely false statement.

I am for heavy duty gun control, btw, but you making shit up doesn't help.

Without using your Justice Potter Stewart voice, please outline what an "assault weapon" is and how AWBs are useful. Maybe they're only useful if you just want to ban evil black rifles.